Love and Death
by SolidSnake19
Summary: This was a story that I wrote for a different site, and I felt that it was neccesary to post it here. Hope you enjoy it!


I kissed her on the cheek. "Hello," I said.

"And good morning to you too," Arya said, smiling.

"Look outside, it's well into the day." I was right; the hours of the morning were long gone.

She sighed, though she was not angry. "Eragon, why do you let me sleep so late? You know that there are too many things to do to let me dawdle and sleep."

"'Cause you're the most beautiful person—human or elf—I've ever seen, and I rather enjoy watching you sleep."

She smiled and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. "Besides," I said, "What is there to do?"

She rolled her eyes. "Let's start with: everything."

I laughed. "I think that you forgot one thing."

"What's that?"

"We have the day off."

Since Galbatorix had died, we had tried to help out as many people as we could, giving them money, spreading the wealth.

_Morning, little one_, said Saphira. _What are you going to do with Arya since you have the day off?_

I acted as if I hadn't planned it to the t. _Well, a nice breakfast in bed. Then maybe you could fly us to the field? And I hear that Thorn also has the day off…_

_Shut up,_ she joked. Although she'd never admit it, she had a thing for Thorn; who also had a crush on her. _Our feelings for each other are strictly business; dragon to dragon._ But I could picture her smiling.

Arya made a motion to get up but I grabbed her hand and told her to stay put, I had a surprise. Her eyebrows rose, wondering what it could be. I took off, and I got a pair of glasses, and filled them with the finest coffee; and I got some vegetables. I walked in with a tray, and set it down next to her. She smiled a smile that she only reserved for me, and I gave her a kiss on the nose.

I walked away, standing in the curtains of a window, watching her. She took a sip of the coffee and she came and stood next to me. "This is great," she said, indicating the coffee.

"I should hope so; I had to milk a goat to get it." She kissed me, and we both dropped our cups, falling into the kiss.

Twenty minutes later, I called Saphira. _'Cause I have nothing else to do, but to chauffeur you guys around._ She sounded impatient, but when she came she saw us and hummed in pleasantness. _Cute couple_, she said to both of us.

We looked at each other and said in unison, "Like you and Thorn."

Her eyes grew narrow. _ Just get on already._

She took us to our field that we had both found. It was one of the few clearings in Ellesmera, and we both loved it. Saphira dropped us off in the field of poppies, and said, _have fun._

I gave her a hug on the neck and whispered in her ear, "You too."

Saphira flew off, and I took Arya's hand in mine. We walked through the field in silence.

We continued walking threw the field, just enjoying the quietness, only the chirping of birds breaking the barrier of sound. Before either of us could say anything, Saphira broke the silence, _we got trouble. I know it's your day off, and you can refuse, but the Queen was curious if you could stop a riot that was happening in a town about thirty clicks from where you are._

We both sighed. We knew that we couldn't say no to this request. "Alright…thirty clicks…I'll say, what, two hours?" I said, counting off my fingers

"An hour and a half on a normal day," she replied. "But, listen, I'm tired, so yeah, probably two hours."

I pondered it for a moment. "Want a piggyback ride?"

"Jeez thought you'd never ask…"

"Sorry, I just didn't know that the elf princess needed a piggyback ride. Well, Mrs. Royalty, hop on."

She smirked and started running towards our destination. I smiled and chased after her. We kept running threw the trees, neither of us needing to stop for breath. About an hour in I was a few feet behind her and I heard her yell, "You need a piggyback ride yet, argetlam?"

I narrowed my eyes and caught up to her. She smirked again, and we both ran our hardest. We arrived at the town where the 'riot' was happening, and quickly began looking for the center of the hysteria. It wasn't hard to find; in the middle of one of the streets, fifty or so of men dressed in Galbatorix's armor were fending off others. I rubbed my temples. "Why can't they just…stop being soldiers," I said, thinking aloud.

"Well, it was the only life they knew," Arya offered.

I shrugged and walked towards the center, and I noticed that some people had already been injured. I frowned. "Arya, could you please deal with the soldiers? I'm going to tend to these guys' wounds."

I was tending to the injuries, when I heard shouts coming, and I heard 'elf!' a few times, so I suspected Arya had something to do with it. I glanced up and my suspicions were correct: Arya's plans for talking them out of it were foiled. No sooner had I realized this when I heard Arya yell, "Eragon! I think that dealing with these sol—ex-soldiers isn't going quite as well as I had hoped!"

I walked next to her. "I noticed."

She jumped; she didn't know I had snuck up on her. I addressed the soldiers. "What's the matter fellas?"

They seemed thrown by this question. One of them—I assumed he was the leader—said, "It's because of you that we are unemployed!"

"That's it?"

"W-well yea…"

"So, you were willing to kill innocent people, get some of your own men killed in the process, and probably destroy this village because you don't have enough patience to build a farm house? Sounds to me like you have bigger issues than your unemployment."

The leader scratched his head. "I never thought of it like that…"

"And you know the Varden is hiring people to assist them?"

''That makes sense…thank you. You truly are a Rider."

I smiled, accepting the praise. I took out a piece of parchment and wrote down an address. "Go here, and tell them Eragon Shadeslayer sent you to be put in the army."

"Thank you." He smiled.

I shook his hand and said, "It was my pleasure…?"

"Jurten."

"Jurten," I confirmed.

I talked to Arya for a while, and we agreed to run back to our field, to finish our day alone. "Now I will take that piggyback ride," Arya said, as we were going to begin.

"I don't mind. Hop on." She looked skeptical. "C'mon I'm not gonna drop you."

"Fine. But if you get tired, tell me." She got on my back, and soon her legs were dangling in front of me. I hardly even noticed a change, with only a slight change in weight. I decided to walk instead of run. We continued to walk, talking about the various gets and goings. She started to slip off, and I grabbed her hands to keep her from falling. "Eragon," she said suddenly.

"Yes?"

"Do you like me?"

I laughed. "No. I love you."

She started to laugh. "I know, I just wanted to hear you say it."

I kissed each of her hands and she kissed the top of my head. We arrived at the field, with almost two hours until sunset. I noticed that since we had gone on a mission on our day off, we had gotten a picnic basket delivered by Saphira.

I contacted her. i _Thank you._

_Thank you little one. I would have done it, but I was having a lovely time with Tho—a friend._ /i 

I broke contact with her, and opened the picnic basket. "Let's see what we got going here." Inside was some warm bread and some vegetable soup. We ate our meal, laughing and joking, talking about Saphira and Thorn.

I contacted Arya through the mind, there was something that I needed to know, and I wanted Saphira to be a part of it as well. As I soon as I touched her mind, she automatically threw up barriers. She threw me a quizzical look, and I said, "Don't worry. But, we do need to talk about something, and I want Saphira to be a part of it."

Her face kept her look, but she let me into her mind.

i There's something we need to talk about. Let me get Saphira. /i It took me a minute to get Saphira's attention.

i What! /i came the irritable reply.

i Stop talking to Thorn for a few minutes. I'm gonna talk to Arya, and I want you in on it. Also can you fly here?

Sure.

Thanks.

/i I turned back to Arya. She allowed Saphira into her mind; we had our own little three-way conversation. i I want to know what you have been hiding from me, Arya.

What?

There's something that you're hiding, something from your past. I want to know what it is.

Eragon there is a reason I hide those memories. They are ones that haunt me, and I wish to nothing, except forget them. I do not wish for you to share my pain.

Arya, I love you. There's nothing that'll stop that. No matter how hard they are, I'll be fine.

He's right Arya. You should let them out.

Trust me, they will not be happy memories. /i 

Arya

i Trust me, they will not be happy memories /i Arya said.

i I don't care. I have unpleasant memories, and when I shared them to you, I felt a crapload better /i Eragon replied.

Arya rubbed her temples. She had not thought of these particular memories for a long time. She did not wish to think of them. She was about to say she couldn't, but Eragon gave her a small kiss, and picked up her hand; smiling a reassuring smile.

She sighed. i As you know, at twenty, every elf is given a chance at the eggs, to see if they will hatch. You may have been told otherwise, but one hatched for me. I was very ecstatic. /i She got a faraway look in her eyes, remembering the past. i His name was Braet, and he was gray. He was a great dragon. /i She looked down, tears welling up in her eyes. Eragon pulled her into a hug. i I had barely begun my training, when the Academy I was training in was attacked. I barely got away with my life, but Braet was killed. The elves can remove your gedway ignasia when your dragon dies, and I thought it fit for that. /i Tears flowed from her eyes, but she continued, still in Eragon's hug. i I dedicated myself to the Varden's work. One reason, it kept my mind off of Braet, but I prayed that eventually one of the eggs would hatch for me. Naturally, none of them did, but I still hoped. /i Saphira came and landed next to Arya, and wrapped a loving wing around her. Arya continued her story of sadness. i I was leaving to transport the egg, preparing to leave Ellesmera when my two best friends approached. They told me that they weren't letting me leave without them coming. I left, and we traveled. Urgals and Durza attacked, killing both of them, as I desperately transported the egg. The rest you know. /i 

Eragon

I sat in silence, Arya in my hands. I wished myself dead for what I had put Arya through. Whether it was because our minds were still linked, or because she just knew what I was thinking (I like to think the latter), she gave me a small smile. She said, "I do feel a crapload better."

I smiled briefly, but then returned to a saddened state. "I'm very, very sorry Arya. I should never have put you threw that…"

She ran a finger along my chest. "It's better that you know."

I kissed her for a few minutes, and I picked her up, carrying her to our tree. It was the only tree in the clearing, it was very large, with a hollow inside. It was so large, that we had set up a small little house in there, though it had not been sung. I carried her onto the bed, kissing her, and sliding down her dress…

i The farm burned. I ran toward it, thinking that maybe they were alive. I noticed Garrow's body, and I walked over to him. He had only a few more seconds of life left in him. "Take the chain from my neck," he gasped out. "It was your-your-mothe-mothers…"

I saw Ajihad being cut down, along with Murtagh. I grabbed Arya and jumped on Saphira, hoping that I could help save them somehow. I saw Ajihad's dead body lying there, and I walked over to it, my body and mind numb. "Don't let the Varden fall to pieces…"

I was there on the Burning Plains, watching everyone get slaughtered. There was no hope for them. I was fighting Murtagh, him effortlessly beating me. His words still echoed in my mind. "Our father was Morzan." /i 

I awoke in a cold sweat. It took me a moment to realize that it was just a dream. I looked over and saw Arya wasn't there. I got up, putting on my pants. I stepped outside, and noticed Arya staring off into the distance a few feet away. I walked up to her and grabbed her hips, kissing her neck. She jumped in surprise, the second time in as many days, but relaxed when she realized who I was. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"Just thinking…are you mad at me?"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"Well, for telling you about my…past."

"No, I'm not mad at you. In fact, I thought that you'd be mad at me. I shouldn't have put you through that. Hold on, let me get my shirt on." I started walking back to the tree, when I heard a rustling in the leaves. I looked to see who it was, when I felt a pain in my head. Blackness surrounded me.

I regained consciousness a few hours later, my head killing me. I turned my head, pain lashing it. I saw a face appear above me. "Sorry about that Eragon," said the face. I recognized the person as Murtagh.

"Why the hell did you do that?" I said groggily.

"Well, I actually wanted to see if you could block my surprise attack. I assumed you could. Guess you were…distracted?"

"All I can say is that I'm happy that you didn't come last night."

He laughed. "I didn't come to just smack you around. Nasuada and I are getting married!"

"I'd be slightly more enjoyed, but a certain someone just turned my brain into pulp. Regardless, congrats."

"Thank you. Listen, you can say no to this, and I'll understand if you do, but…"

"But what?"

"Will you be my best man?"

I sat up, ignoring the pain. "Are you serious!"

"Well…yeah. I mean, I began to think of you as my brother, while we were traveling together."

"You know that I am actually your brother?"

"Oh, yeah…well, will you?"

"If it was anyone else, I'd kill you." I smiled. I added in a whisper, "Though you kinda stole my thunder. I was gonna propose to Arya today."

Murtagh smiled. "Good for you!"

"Hell, I can't do it now…"

"The wedding's tomorrow by the way."

With this, I bolted up right, hitting my head on the ceiling. "That soon?"

He only smiled, and said, "See you tomorrow." And with that, he left.

i You were going to propose to Arya? /i said Saphira.

i Yeah…do you have any problems with that?

No. As a matter of fact, I was going to tell you that you should. Oh yeah, the queen's decided to give you guys the week off. /i 

I got up, walking around. "I'm gonna kill Murtagh if he ever does that again," said Arya walking into the 'house.'

I gave her a quick kiss, to tell her I was alright. I scratched my back, and I found the small amulet necklace on my neck. The dream from this morning slowly resurfaced. Arya read my emotions. "What's wrong."

I sighed deeply. "Just a bad dream last night. You hear about the wedding?"

"Yeah. Nasuada sounded very excited."

"Guess who the best man is."

"Well, seeing as how Murtagh told me he was going to ask you, I'm gonna assume it is you."

"Meanie."

"Well, I have some good news."

"What's up?" I asked as I started to put on my shoes.

"I think—well, I'm 90 sure—that I'm pregnant."

I stopped. I blinked a few times, making sure I heard her right. "You-you're pregnant?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure."

"When-when did this…happen?"

"Last night."

"Then how can you be so sure?"

"Well, call it a gift, but I can kinda sense when people—including myself I guess—are pregnant. I've never been wrong, when I sense it."

I turned to face her. She seemed unsure of what I was going to do. I finally smiled, as wide as I could. "We're going to have a baby!" I picked her up and twirled her around. She smiled at my reaction.

i Saphira did you hear that!

What is it?

I'm gonna be a dad! /i 

She stuck her head into the entrance of the tree. i I heard! /i 

I was ecstatic. "What should we name it? Do you know if it's a boy or girl? Who—" Arya put a finger on my lips. She kissed me, passion entrapping us. "I'm not sure if it's a boy or a girl. As a matter of fact, I don't know if we are going to have a baby. I said that it was just a feeling."

"But, I know that we are!"

"Alright, let's do this one at a time. We don't know if it's a boy or girl."

"OK, as for its name?"

"Private conversation. Mind?"

I was confused, and Saphira said i HEY! Why are you leaving me out? /i 

"Don't worry Saphira," Arya said, with a reassuring smile.

She connected with me in my mind. i I was thinking that we should have Saphira name the baby.

Oh? Great idea. I'll tell her. /i Before I could do anything, Arya told me to wait.

I waited for ten minutes, until I got fed up. i Arya, are you there?

Oh no, Arya's not here /i I heard the reply.

i What are you talking about? /i And I tried to get out of my mind. "She" started closing all the 'exits' from my brain.

i Arya, let me out!

I told you, Arya's not here.

Well, then who are you! And where is Arya!

SHUT UP! Arya is tied up, on the other side of the tree. If you want to know, I'm Galbatorix's son.

So, what are you going to do with me?

Well, either kill you or take you and torture you, I haven't decided. I might kill Arya too.

I'll make a deal with you. Leave and Arya and Saphira alone, and I'll come, no fighting.

Hmmmm….alright I'll take that… /i 

The fake Arya took me. She told Saphira that we were just going for a walk. I tried to send a message to them, telling them that I love them. It never got out.

One year later

I had finally escaped from my torture, after five long years of being whipped and beaten. I had traveled long and far, Galbatorix's son—Turent was his name—had a house set up, and he had continually hit me, just for fun. When I asked him why he did it, he told me it was just for fun. One day when he had left for food, even though he had drugged me, I still was able to use a little magic, and free myself. I ran, until I figured he couldn't catch me.

I had been traveling for three months, until I had made it to the edge of Ellesmera. I ran any chance I could, until I made it to our clearing. I saw her sitting on the ground, and I watched her for a few minutes, just relishing in the wake of her beautifulness. I wanted to talk to her, but I didn't know what to say. I decided to talk to her in her mind first. As soon as I made any contact, her mind retaliated. So, I used a trick I had learned, and went in from the backdoor.

i I've missed you.

Who is this!

An old friend.

Enough games, who is this? /i 

I came up behind her and whispered in her ear, "Like I said, an old friend." She turned around slowly, as if not believing that it was me. I smiled at her, and she kissed me, tears running down her face. I pulled back after a few minutes, and wiped her tears away. "There's no reason to cry," I said.

Arya

Arya was gazing peacefully, thinking things over. She felt someone probe her mind, but during those times, that was normal; so she threw up her barriers.

i I've missed you /i came a voice, vaguely familiar.

i Who is this!

An old friend.

Enough games, who is this? /i she asked irritably.

"Like I said, an old friend," said a voice next to her ear. Eragon's voice. Arya turned slowly, not wanting to get her hopes up. She saw his face, and he broke a smile. She kissed him, tears flowing, from joy. After a few minutes of a passionate kiss, they pulled away, and he wiped away her tears. "There's no reason to cry," Eragon said.

"There's every reason to cry! You're back!" Arya said, still crying. "Where did you go?"

"I don't want to tell my story twice. See if you can round up Murtagh and Nasuada. I'll get Saphira."

She smiled the first time in a long time. "Will do." Arya ran to Murtagh and Nasauda's quarters, not wanting to be from Eragon. She barged into their room, and said, "Eragon's back!" They didn't need an explanation, and chased after her.

Eragon

"Will do," she said, running off. I searched for Saphira, finding her.

i _Guess who._ /i I could feel her thoughts, not believing that it could be me.

i _It…can't be…is it really you…Eragon?_

_I have missed you Saphira._

_IT IS YOU!_

_Who else could it be?_

_Where are you!_

_Our clearing._ /i I could almost hear her take off.

It was a few minutes, until I saw her land, a few feet from me. She wrapped a wing around me, and started licking my face. i _I have missed you, little one._

_I have missed you too._ /i 

I heard a breaking of twigs, and looked to see Arya, Murtagh, and Nasuada coming. Murtagh and Nasuada grinned at me, and ran and gave me a hug. "What happened to you?" they asked.

"Sit down, this will not be an easy story to tell," I said, gesturing to the seats. "Well, where to start?

"I was taken by Galbatorix's son, Turent. He didn't tell me the whole story, but he said that he tied Arya up to the other side of the tree. I assumed that he was Arya, so I let him in my mind. He talked to me for a minute, but then shut all exits; so I was a prisoner of my own mind. He told me he was going to kill m—or torture me, he wasn't sure—and then maybe kill both of you." I gestured to Arya and Saphira. "I made a deal with him, leave both of you alone, and I'll go quietly.

"He agreed, and off we went. He did some magic, and transported both of us to his house. There, he bound both my hands up, and tied them to the ceiling. I was hanging there, bound, and naked. He whipped me and beat me, constantly. He broke eight of my ribs, I'm pretty sure all of my fingers—some twice, dislocated my shoulder, and a whole lot of other stuff. About four months into my torture, he started applying poison and drugs to my bare food, noticing that I was healing my bones with magic. After about four more months of beatings, I remembered something.

"In my amulet, from my mother, I had put just a little bit of my power in it, in case of the direst circumstances. I used that power and cut the ropes binding me, and ran. I had to get information, so I used the backdoor of people's minds to get into them. I figured out that I was on the other side of Alagaesia. So I traveled and I arrived here," I finished my story.

Arya and Nasuada were crying. I smiled at them. "No reason to cry. I'm back. I'm dead tired. Can I see you all in the morning?" I motioned to Nasuada, Murtagh, and Saphira.

"Of course," said Murtagh.

I smacked my head, remembering. "I'm terribly sorry that you had to have a wedding without a best man, Murtagh."

Murtagh did something I didn't expect, he smiled. "Well, we thought it fit to not have a wedding without my best friend, brother, or best man. Although, we were only going to postpone it a year. Guess you made it just in time. In fact the wedding is what…" He acted as if he didn't know it.

Nasuada hit him playfully on the arm. "It's in four days Eragon," she said laughing a little.

"I'll be there," I replied, laughing at Nasuada and Murtagh. I got up and gave Murtagh a hug and Nasuada a quick kiss on the cheek, and a hug as well. Saphira came over.

i _I'm very sorry little one._

_For what, Saphira?_

_For not being there. I should have helped you._ /i I laughed quickly.

i _Saphira, I chose to leave, in a way. If I had wanted your help, I would have asked. Now, don't fret about it. I love you._

_I love you too._ /i 

I walked towards Arya who had stepped away during the goodbyes. I came up to her, spun her around slowly, and kissed her. She fell into my arms, and smiled truly for the first time, but her crying continued. "Surely, the elf princess isn't crying for such a measly peasant?" I asked jokingly.

"Shut up Eragon, you're ruining the moment."

"Now the elf princess is yelling! What have I gotten myself into…?"

"Eragon, I'm going to hit you if you don't be quiet."

"Now she's gonna hit me? Seriously, what have I gotten myself into…?"

She laughed, but caught herself. "What's wrong?" I asked, seriously.

"Well, I just don't want to get overjoyed."

"That's…depressing."

"I mean, you can be taken just as quickly as you can be given."

"Well, then thank whatever Lord you elves worship that I'm here."

"We don't worship anybody."

"Well, then thank my lord, for everyday He gives us."

She just smiled and kissed me. "Let's sleep here today. I'm too tired to go to Ellesmera today."

"Sure. But, I'm gonna stay by the camp fire for awhile. Help me sort out my thoughts."

"Then, I'll stay by you."

"You must sleep Arya."

"No. Last time I slept, I never saw you again."

"Then I will make you," I said, muttering a few incantations.

She fought the spell haphazardly. "Will not sleep…….your back……" And with that, fell asleep. I smiled, watching her sleep, admiring the beautifulness of her.

Four Days Later

In preparation for Murtagh's wedding, I had chosen a nice suit, though nothing too fancy. Arya had chosen to wear a forget-me-not blue dress that suited her perfectly. "Ready?" I asked, struggling with my tie.

"Ready," she confirmed. She came in and I kissed her cheek, and she readjusted my tie.

"That's why I love you," I said, after she perfected my tie.

"No, this is why," she said, kissing me.

"I think that you just smeared me with lipstick."

She rolled her eyes. "Let's go."

"Alright let's go over what's going to happen." I started counting off my fingers. "First, I'll meet with Murtagh, tell him not to chicken out; second, we'll have the ceremony; third, we'll have the after party, in which I'll give a smashing speech." I added as an afterthought, "And maybe a nice kiss from the bride…"

"If you kiss her, I'll kill you."

"I love you too." And off we went.

We arrived at the town center—where the wedding was being held, with a few hours until the actual wedding. I told Arya that I was going to go see Murtagh, and I left. I walked in to Murtagh's room, and I saw him looking into a mirror. I snuck up behind him, intending to hit him in return for when he hit me, but he said, "Two feet closer Eragon and you're a dead man."

I ran my fingers threw my hair, shaking my head. "Why is everyone so intent on killing me today?"

He laughed. "Listen, I don't need you to talk me out of not doing this. I've been trying to for the last year."

I walked behind him, smacking him on the back. I smiled. "Yeah, well for nine months I was being tortured, so this is a cakewalk."

"You're going to bring up your capture a lot aren't you? Well, anyway, I've got a gift for you. It was from my—our mom. She gave it to me before she ran off." He gave me something, wrapped. It was a small package, and I made a motion to open it. He grabbed my hand, telling me not to open it yet.

"Well, big brother—wait you are my big brother right?"

"Yeah, I am. I was born…twenty-eight years ago."

"Damn, I'm twenty-five. Well, anyway, you ready to do this?"

"Yeah." He sighed. "Let's go get married."

I heard a knock at the door, and turned to see Arya. "You guys are gonna get married? I always thought you had a thing for Nasuada, Murtagh." She turned to me, a chastising look on her face. "And I thought that you had a thing for me."

I laughed, and I said to Arya, "Wrong idea sister. I have a special place for you though…" and I murmured, "in my ass."

"I heard that." She started laughing though.

I slapped Murtagh on the back again. "Ready to go get married?"

"Let's kick the tires and light the fires."

"What are tires?"

"Never mind." We walked to the room in which the ceremony was going to be held. I gave him a hug, and I said, "You talk to me when this goes into the pooper."

He chuckled, and I walked to my spot. He came down, the music playing, and soon, it was time for the bride. Everyone stood, as she came walking down the aisle. She was wearing a white dress, and looked beautiful.

When the time for vows came, I pulled out Murtagh's sheet, and handed it to him. He took it and started reading:

"Nasuada, when we first met, I was shocked. Shocked by the mere fact that anyone could be so beautiful." Nasuada blushed furiously, and Murtagh continued, "I was already thinking of the time in which we can spend together, but then I was forced to leave. When I saw you again, I was once again shocked. Shocked that anyone could still remain unmarried, even after so long. I knew what to do, yet was unconvinced on how to do it. You said one time that you wanted a prince, and I hope that I'm that prince."

Nasuada was being handed her vows, yet she rejected them. She wanted to improvise: "Murtagh, when I first saw you, I was shocked as well. You were the most handsome man I have ever seen, and I was hoping that you had even noticed me. After you were taken, I was in despair for quite awhile, hoping that you hadn't left me. When you came back, I was joyous to a new degree. And, then you proposed to me, making me the happiest woman in the world. You are my prince."

After the wedding ceremony, the band started to play. "Arya," I said, walking up to her, "can I have a dance with you?"

She smiled. "I thought that you'd never ask."

We danced to the music, admiring our closeness. I loved the song:

_ i I love you, more than you know_

_I wish that I could tell you_

_But, words just can't describe it_

_I'll settle for I love you though_

_Baby I love you!_

_I wish I could tell you!  
But I'll settle for the three words_

_I love you_

_Whenever were together_

_I feel so complete_

_But when were apart_

_I feel so destroyed_

_I write this song to tell you_

_How much I love you_

_But I can't describe it_

_But I'll settle for I love you_ /i 

I kissed her slowly, admiring her taste. She asked me, "Do you think that we'll ever get married?"

Rather than be thrown by her question like most men, I replied, "Consider this a dress rehearsal."

She smiled, and kissed me, and pulled me closer, her hands in my hair. After we broke away, she started crying. "Why are you crying?" I asked, a smile flickering across my face.

"'Cause you left me, and I don't ever want that to happen again."

"Arya I will never ever leave you again knowingly."

"But you still did."

"If I could, I'd have fought until the death, just to get that year I missed with you back."

"Don't say death. You came to close, and I feared that you had already fallen into its grip."

I pulled her face level with mine. "Arya, next time I part with you, I will have fallen into its grasps. I promise. And if you're still unsure, then trust me with this." And with that, I kissed her, throwing all my love into it. "I love you Arya, and nothing can get in the way of that."

"I love you too, Eragon."

I danced with her again, just enjoying her body against mine.

After the dance, I walked over to Murtagh, and I asked, "Can I open that package yet?"

He looked around, and seemed satisfied. "Yeah, sure. But if you see Arya, stop."

Confused, I unwrapped the gift, and opened the cover. Inside was a beautiful engagement ring, covered in diamonds, with a single, blue sapphire in the middle. Murtagh noticed by expression for astonishment. "I thought that you could use it more than I could. I forgot about it, and I had already proposed to Nasuada when I found it."

"I can't—"

"You can take it, and you will. I have no need for it. Plus it fits Saphira with the sapphire."

I smiled. "Thanks man."

Arya came over, seemingly from nowhere. "Thanks for what?"

I shifted nervously. "Murtagh was gonna give me the last glass of champagne," I lied.

Arya seemed to notice my lie. "And where would it happen to be?" She was smiling.

"Uh. Uh, it's somewhere over there. And I'll go get it," and with that, Murtagh left.

"You guys wouldn't happen to be discussing something that concerned me?" She smiled again.

"Not in the least."

"I believe that you are lying." She laughed.

I thought quickly on it. ''Well, I guess you'll find out on…Friday. Let's make it a special night, eh?"

"I'll be there."

I kissed her lightly. "Until then, it'll be a surprise."

Murtagh came back about fifteen minutes later, looking fairly drunk. "Heyyy guys. I cannn't believe shiss. I am married. And you're not. HAHA! I beat chou guysss."

"Murtagh, did you finish my last glass of champagne?"

He giggled. Then he whispered, "Yours and about five other peoples." He burst out laughing.

Nasuada walked over, noticing how hammered Murtagh was. She shook her head, smacking it in the process. She marched over to Murtagh. "Are you drunk!"

He burst out laughing again and said, "Shhhhh! Nasuada doesn't know!"

I laughed for a few minutes. "I'll clear his head." I muttered a few incantations under my breath. Murtagh shook his head, and promptly said, "Crap! I've gotta pee!"

We all laughed. "What did you do to him?" asked Nasuada, chuckling.

"Made all of his alcohol go to his bladder. Probably won't be back for a few minutes."

Sure enough, Murtagh came back a few minutes later. He looked relieved, yet very upset. "I'm. Going. To Kick. Your Ass."

We burst out laughing again, Murtagh getting even angrier. "That was mean Eragon; I was out there pissing for like five minutes." With that, Murtagh joined in the round of laughter.

I picked up a mug of mead. "To Nasuada and Murtagh!"

The next morning, I woke up, my head pounding from the previous night. I groaned, and I tried to throw my leg over my bed. I wasn't on a bed, and was actually on a bench, and I fell off. I groaned again. It was not going to be a good day.

I looked around, noticing where I was. I looked around, and spotted Arya coming towards me, distress on her face. She had a shirt in her hand, and I realized that I was shirtless.

She came, and I gave her a quick kiss, and took the shirt. "What's wrong?" I asked, pulling the shirt over my head.

"One of the Riders woke up dead."

"How do you wake up dead?"

"'Cause you're alive when you go asleep."

"Can you go to bed dead, then wake up alive?"

"Eragon, shut up, I'm serious, Owen died."

"Do they suspect foul play?"

"Come see for yourself." She started walking towards Owen's house. I stepped in, and knew immediately that it was murder. There was blood everywhere, and in blood was spelled: 'One is down

This isn't the first

I hate you damn Riders

-An Old Friend'

Owen's body was hanging next to the "poem."

After being at Owen's house for a few hours, I left, the image of the poem still fresh in my mind. I was debating who it was in my mind. There were only a few possibilities: Galbatorix and Durza. I'd killed both of them myself—and rather enjoyed their deaths—so it ruled them out.

I went about, interviewing people who had houses near Owen, and close friends of his. There were no witnesses, although I hadn't figured that there would be any. The only description I got was 'a tall dark figure.' Or half of the friggin population.

I subconsciously walked to my small house that I shared with Arya. I saw her lying on the couch, rummaging threw her thoughts, as I did. It became dark soon, and I started going to bed. I was still pondering the solution, as I looked out the window.

i _What kind of a sick son of a bitch would do this?_ /i I asked myself repeatedly.

I was still gazing out the window, when I saw an arrow flying, directly aiming at me. "I think that we're going to find out who our murderer is Arya," I said calmly, plucking the arrow from the sky.

She looked at me, and I plucked another arrow. She gave a small nod of recognition, and walked beside me. "Go ahead," was all she needed to say.

I had automatically registered where the attack was coming from, and the assailant hadn't changed positions. I quickly threw the arrow back at the spot, quicker than a bow could. Using the ancient language to enhance my hearing, I could feel the arrow strike home. I threw the other one, hitting the attacker in his (hers?) other leg.

I calmly put on a traveling coat, and—like a gentleman—helped Arya's with hers. We walked down to the tree where I had pinned the attacker. I knew that whoever it was couldn't get out because not even an Urgal could remove an arrow when I had thrown it. We were in no hurry, and we arrived there fifteen minutes later. We were both surprised, that not only was there nothing there—minus torn clothes and blood, there was a note as well. It read (in what I suspected was blood):

'Close, but no cigar

I thought that I was good

But I'm not match against the mighty Eragon

-An Old Friend'

I put a small amount of blood on my fingers, taking a small amount of enjoyment that I'd hurt whoever it was; yet, my pride hurt that I hadn't gone faster. I smelled the blood, and tasted it. It was recognizable, at least the smell was. I knew the scent, yet I couldn't place it. It was familiar.

Two weeks later

Two weeks passed, and three more people were murdered, each with their own little poem. None of them were Riders, thankfully, yet they were important to the Riders. I had the feeling that I was being watched, and it made the hairs stand up on my neck. Several times, I turned around on empty streets to find them just as empty as they had been when I had started walking on them. It was pretty unnerving.

Two days after the third murder, the assailant tried another attempt on my life. I was walking along, when a sword slashed my way. It missed my head by inches. "This is quite a predicament," I said, drawing my sword.

I looked at the person attacking me, and he was about nine feet tall, with a sword that looked familiar. I figured it might be an elf that had enhanced his height. I quickly attacked, wanting to end it without a long drawn out battle. I struck at his left, but he nimbly dodged it. He struck at my legs, and he had speed for such a tall person. I feinted an attack at his right, and struck his left thigh. It faltered his defenses for a brief second, in which I held my sword at his neck. "Dead," I said calmly. I ripped of the assassin's mask, and my eyebrows shot up in surprise. It was Garzhvog, the leader of the Kull on the Burning Plains battle.

"Garzhvog? I daresay a lot of explaining is due," I said, surprise still riddled in my face.

"Yes," he said in his thick Kull accent. "I suppose we do."

i _Saphira!_ /i I called.

i _What!_

_I think I've captured our murderer._

_Oh! I'll get Arya and the gang and be right there._

_Read my mind._ /i 

It was several minutes until they arrived. I heard Saphira's flapping wings long before she came. They landed, rather roughly, and I noticed Garzhvog cringe upon seeing Saphira.

Arya walked to me, giving me a quick kiss. "You found him?"

"Garzhvog here was attacking me, and I now recognize that blood on the tree to be his. I think that an explanation is due," I said, looking at Garzhvog.

"Eat my shit Eragon," came his reply.

"That's not the answer I want."

He gave me a small smile, and—quicker than any human eye could see—thrust his hand into his pocket, and put a small pill in his mouth. "Poison," was all he said.

It took me a few moments to register what happened, and then I walked next to him, and punched him as hard as I could into his stomach. He gagged once, and then threw up.

"Smart…bastard," he said, and upchucked again.

"Talk now or that will seem like a love tap," Murtagh said, pulling out his blade. Nasuada, Arya, and I followed his lead, pulling out our swords.

"Someone paid me a crapload of money to kill certain people. He gave me a list, and I carried it out. He wrote the notes, not me." He added as an after thought, "'Cept that one when you nailed me to the tree, I wrote that myself. Nice shot, I remember that you were good with the bow. Anyway, he said he give me loads of crowns if I killed you, so naturally I went after you. Nothing personal, just business, ya know. After the first attempt had been…unsuccessful—and rather painful I might add—he told me to do it again. So I went after you, stalking you." My assumptions in thinking that I had been followed were correct. "And then I went attacking you again today. And now I'm here."

"Who was it that ordered you to attack me?"

"Well, he wouldn't give me an outright answer when I asked him, just that you knew him. But, I was curious, so I followed him one day. It turns out that you did know him."

"Who?" I asked, irritably. I was getting impatient.

Arya could sense my impatientness. "Calm down Eragon, and let him talk."

I rolled my eyes, but allowed him to continue. "Are you sure that you want to know who it is? It will not be easy for you," he said warningly. "Your hatred for him will only greaten, and I'm not sure if I should tell you."

"Garzhvog, if you don't tell me who it is, then my hatred for you right now will increase."

"It was Turent."

I blinked a few times in succession. "Turent?"

"Yeah." He got a distant look on his face, as if thinking something over. "Might get some money for my tribe…I hope so…" He looked back at me. "Sorry Eragon."

He pulled out a dagger before any of us could react, and stabbed me right in my heart. I looked down at my heart, blood pumping furiously from it. "That's not good," I said, and fell down, unconscious.

i _I was walking down a hallway, admiring the elegantness of it. Pretty stuff. I was walking down this hallway for awhile, taking my time, nonchalantly. I started to skip, feeling rather elated, hoping that it was just a little wider. I tried contacting Saphira, but I couldn't find her. I shrugged it off, throwing away my concerns. I wanted to see Arya, but I thought that this was my own thing and maybe it best if she wasn't there. Though I did miss her. I continued to skip, just taking my time. I slowly started coming to a light. That was interesting; I didn't think that there would be anything here. I walked to the light, and it was actually a doorway. The door opened on its own, and I noticed Brom there, with someone I recognized vaguely. I also noticed some other people; they looked like relatives of people I knew. I wanted to join them, and I was about to step into the room where they were, but they all gave me a push out. "Not your time…" they all whispered._

"_But, I really want to come," I protested. "Can I just talk to you?"_

"_Later. Not yet," Brom said. And with that, gave me a big push that sent me sprawling backwards._ /i 

I regained consciousness in an unfamiliar room. I meant to get up, but pain shot from every ventricle of my body. I groaned, and even that hurt. A familiar face appeared over my head. "Eragon, you gave us mighty a fright. That is the second time I've helped you live after a near death experience."

"Angela why are you always there when I need you?"

"Because the Mighty Eragon needs me constantly, and I have nothing better to do than watch your ass all day."

"Not good language miss healer," I said, and made a move to get up.

"No, no, you sit back down and i _rest_ /i ."

As soon as I had made the move, I regretted it. Pain racked my body, and intensified many-fold when Angela pressed her hand on my heart. "At least tell me how long I've been out," I said, panting.

Angela did some quick mathematics in her head. "Four days."

I made another move to get up, but stop almost instantly, the pain from the previous attack still there. I could feel the pain slowly begin to creep its way up. "Why does it hurt so much? I mean I know that I was stabbed, but it really shouldn't hurt this bad."

"The blade was coated with poison. It wasn't a death kind of poison, but rather one that gets you to the brink of death. Very rare, very evil. Only one merchant I know sells them."

I remembered my 'dream.' Had it really been a dream?

i _Are you awake little one?_ /i Saphira called.

i _I am!_

_How do you feel?_

_Like I just got stabbed in the heart with a very rare, very evil poison. Can you come fly here?_

_Sure. Shall I bring everyone?_

_Yea—no wait. Scratch that. Just bring Arya._

_See you in a few little one._ /i 

I turned back to Angela. "Arya and Saphira are going to be arriving soon, can you please leave?"

"Alright Mr. Rude. I think that after taking care of you for so long would earn just a little respect."

I cleared my throat. "Just get out."

"Fine, fine." I could tell she was smiling though.

Arya burst threw the door a minute or so later, and flung to the side of my bed. "Whoa, whoa, whoa calm down, calm down."

Her eyes were puffy and red; I could tell she'd been crying. "Damn you Eragon, making me worry like that! I was worried sick about you! Six days! That's how long I was worrying!" she exclaimed angrily.

"Someone is not a happy woman."

i _Glad to see you're awake, little one._

_Damn glad to be awake._ /i 

"What happened to Garzhvog?"

Arya laughed bitterly. "Well, he stabbed you, so"—she counted off her fingers—"I lopped off his head, Murtagh got him in _ i his_ /i heart, and Nasuada went for his legs." She added as an afterthought, "Don't know why his legs though."

I sat up, ignoring the flurries of pain coming. "C'mere."

She smiled, and I wrapped her up in a hug. "I missed you," she said.

"Not as much as I missed you," I replied, and kissed the top of her head.

"You're too much of a cliché man."

"What's a cliché man?"

"Eragon, do I have to slap you every time you ruin a perfectly good moment? 'Cause then, like, you'd be screwed."

"You started it!"

She made a motion to slap me, and I acted flinchy. "Ahhh! Attack of the evil princess."

This time she actually did slap me, playfully on my arm. "Ouch, I've got a violent wife…"

She started laughing, but paused after a moment, thinking over my words. "Did…did you just…say what…I think…you said?"

I quickly retraced my steps. "C'mere?"

"Farther."

"Not as much as I missed you?"

"Farther."

"C'mere?" I asked again.

"Damn Eragon, do you have to play games! The wife part!"

"Oh yeah that. Slip of the tongue I guess."

i _I'm not so sure._

_Well, if you_ /i must i _ know, I was going to propose to Arya later this week, when my wound healed._

_About time. I was beginning to think that you never were. Good job hiding it from me._

_Thank you, I had thought that you would have seen it coming. Not because we're connected, but it seems common sense to me._

_Well, I sure can't find a more suitable person._

_Thanks._ /i 

"Really?" Arya said, while I was conversing with Saphira.

"Really. Why, does it scare you that I said it?"

She acted nonchalant. "Not at all."

There was an awkward silence for a few minutes, before Arya finally spoke. "I…er…must get going…"

I smiled at her, not at all nervous. "See ya then."

Arya

"See ya then," Eragon said, smiling.

Arya gave him a quick kiss, and left, thinking things over. She was paying no attention to what she was doing, walking the walls. She was having a mental argument with herself.

i _Was that…like…a hint of what's to come?_

_ b **Well, if it was, would I say yes or no. /b **_

_I would say no!_

_ b **Why? You love him more than anything…** /b _

_That doesn't mean I want to become his wife…_

_ b **I repeat: why? You guys are basically husband and wife, minus the actual title.** /b _

_That still leaves the question…would I say yes, would I say no?_

_ b **Yes. /**b _

_No._

_ b **Yes.** /b _

_Yes._

_ b **There, its settled.** /b _

Without paying an attention to what she was doing, Arya ran into Nasuada. "Yes," she grumbled, stood up, still not paying any attention.

"Arya? ARYA!" Nasuada yelled.

Arya paid no attention. "No?" she mumbled.

Nasuada was fed up. "ALA-FRIGGIN-EGASIA TO ARYA!"

Arya finally looked up. "Oh hello Nasuada."

"You're…surreal."

"I've really got to go…bye Nasuada."

She grabbed Arya's arm. "Why are you so distracted?"

"Well, it's a long story…" And she explained the whole story, including the wife thing.

Nasuada didn't seem surprised at all. "'Bout time that you guys got married."

"We're not getting married!"

"Yet..." With that, she smiled and took off.

Arya frowned. She had nothing to do, so she went to their house.

Eragon

I felt rather pleased at the hint I had dropped Arya. Yet, I wondered if it hadn't been quite as subtle as I had hoped. Arya had been extremely uncomfortable when she had left.

She did, however, come in to my 'hospital bed' early the next morning.

I could sense her coming, before she even got to the door. I played my part very well; pretending to sleep. She came in, and sat on the chair that was next to my bed. She leaned over to do something—I never learned—and I yelled, "BOO!"

She shrieked, and fell back into her chair. I almost fell off of my bed from laughing. "Omi—omigosh…that was-so-so-so funny," I was able to say between fits of laughter. She finally cracked a little smile, but started hitting me playfully. "Did Angela say who sold the poison?"

"As a matter of fact, she did. She also told me the name: it's called Screech."

"Why?"

"'Cause it makes people screech."

"So, who sells it?"

"Well…Angela does."

"Angela is the one who sells it?"

"Yes, but she assured me that she hasn't sold any of it in almost ten years. She did mention that she thought someone had taken some of it, because it seemed a little was missing. Enough to coat the edge of a dagger with it."

"I knew that it wouldn't be easy," she said, shaking her head.

"I've got an idea though. I kind of remember the setting of Turent's house when I was there, and when I escaped. It was…"—I searched my brain—"definitely in the Hadarac Desert 'cause I remember the landscape well enough, there were some trees nearby, I think it was an oasis."

Her eyes lit up when I mentioned the oasis. "There are only two oases in the Hadarac. I'll get a map." With that, she ran off; and returned several minutes later, with a huge, rolled map. She unfurled it, and she pointed out the two oases. "Here's one." It was bordered a few feet from Ellesmera.

"Can't be. I traveled for nearly a year, well, adding a few hindrances along the way."

"Then its gotta be this one." She pointed to a spot on the map. I smiled, and nodded curtly. "That's definitely gotta be it."

It was on the edge of the Hadarac. "We should leave when you get better," Arya said, already planning the best route.

"We need the queen's permission."

Arya snickered slightly. "Not when you're a princess."

"Oh, so now you're a princess. I could of sworn that you had told me no to call you that…"

"I'm gonna kill you one of these days Eragon."

"Not if I do this," I said, and I kissed her.

She smiled. "All is forgiven."

One week later

A week later, I was up and about, though occasional pain would lance its way threw my body. It was well worth the trade off, I'd much rather have brief forays of pain then to have been bed stricken for a few more days.

I was in bed, planning the day for Arya and me. I knew that tonight was the night for the proposal.

i _Busy plans today little one?_

_How'd you know?_ /i I asked sarcastically.

i _Just how busy…_

_Shut up. Don't ruin today, please._

_Well, if you're going to be like that, maybe I won't fly you…_

_Sorry, oh mighty Saphira._

_What time_ /i , she said, trying to sound annoyed. I knew she was smiling.

i _An hour before the sunset._

_Fine, fine. But you better get me something good._

_A nice day with Thorn?_ /i She instantly severed the connection.

i _She's a little touchy today._ /i Arya came in a few moments later, looking flustered.

I smiled sweetly. "Is something wrong?"

She gave a slight laugh. "After seemingly eight hours of arguing, I was finally allowed to spend the day with you. Mo—the queen wanted us to help with decorating. I swear, decorating! A Rider forced to help put up decorations."

"Not just a Rider. A princess as well."

"Eragon I'm gonna slap you so hard sometime, your neck is gonna break."

"Alright…" I leaned in for a kiss, when there was a sound at the door.

i _Thump, thump, thump._ /i 

"Damn," I said, frowning. When Arya reached the door, there was an exhausted looking messenger.

"Sorry to interrupt you Rider Eragon and Princess Arya." I hid a grin from Arya. She looked annoyed. "But, the queen wishes to see you immediately." We both looked at each other, and were about to shut the door on the messenger, when she continued, "It's about a new Shade."

I grabbed our traveling cloaks without any information, and we left. We ran at breakneck speed, neverminding the messenger. We arrived at the palace, panting slightly, twenty minutes later. I silently admired the palace as I always did. It was not a tree, but rather something on land. It was large, but not overly so. It had beautiful paintings—or fairths, I wasn't sure—every few feet.

We burst into the throne room, and the queen needed no command to tell us, barely looking up from her desk. "It's a Shade, were almost 90 sure."

"How?"

She handed me something. I took it, and looked it over. It was a fairth, and I looked it over. There was a person, dressed in black leather, with short hair. It had a face that could strike terror in anyone, a scar running down its face, over its left eye. But what really struck fear in me, and what convinced me it was a Shade were its eyes. One of them was blue—it looked like a vulture's eye—and the other was purple. Though the fairth was a bit fuzzy, it looked like a woman.

I handed it to Arya, and I ran my fingers threw my hair. Shades were not fun. Arya's eyes darkened over, but her face displayed no emotion. "Do we have any idea who it is?"

The picture of the Shade never left my mind. She (I wasn't so sure that it was a she though) looked vaguely familiar.

We already knew what was coming when the queen spoke. "We knew you guys to hunt this Shade down. Kill or capture, preferably kill."

We both sighed, our day—and many after that—was ruined. "Yes, I suppose we have to," I said heavily.

"Please leave as soon as possible. They said that the Shade was spotted near the edge of the Spine."

"Yes, probably tomorrow."

I made a motion to go, but Arya grabbed my arm. I knew something big was coming, there was a reason to her silence. "Why us?" she whispered.

"Because you're the best we've got. Plus, you have Saphira. Its logic," she still had not looked up from her desk.

"Yes, but we specifically asked for today off."

"You still have today. Eragon said that you can leave tomorrow, and I'm fine with that."

There was an angry glint in her eye. "Because i _you're fine with that?_ /i " her voice was a forced calm.

"I am a princess, and he is a Rider, we technically can refuse this mission."

"Yes you can. It's alright if you want to, I can send someone else."

Before Arya could say anything, I said, "We'll do it. We'll leave at dawn tomorrow. Have a pleasant day." I quickly grabbed Arya, and even though she was fuming, I walked her out of the door.

"Arya, you know damn well that we have to accept that mission," I said, still pulling her.

"Why!" she asked angrily.

"Because it's our duty!" I yelled back. She didn't say anything else until we were safely in the comfort of our house.

She exploded once we were in the door. "Dammit Eragon! We could have declined that mission, and you damn well know it!"

"Of course I know that! But we both took an oath that we would do whatever we could to help in anyway we can, and finding a Shade is helping a crapload."

"So you're saying that you would rather spend the next week chasing down a Shade, then here!"

"That's not what I said," I said, forcing calm into my voice. "And you know it. But, we must do what we can!"

"This is bullshit Eragon! I can't believe that you'd make me go on that mission with you," she snapped.

"With…you?" I whispered. I tore out of the house, tears brimming in my eyes. Her words echoed in my brain. i _With you._ /i Not 'you'd make us go on that mission.' It was 'make me go with you.' She didn't think that we were anything, that I was just a friend.

I ran subconsciously to the Menoa tree. I don't know why I ran there, but my body and mind told me to go there. No one was there, I was glad for that. I sat down beside it, reviewing our conversation in my mind. I had tried to do what was right for the people. I don't know how long I sat there, I'd guess several hours. For some reason a song from my childhood kept popping into my head:

_ i Girl I'm in love with you  
This ain't the honeymoon  
Past the infatuation phase  
Right in the thick of love  
At times we get sick of love  
It seems like we argue everyday_

I know I misbehaved  
And you made your mistakes  
And we both still got room left to grow  
And though love sometimes hurts  
I still put you first  
And we'll make this thing work  
But I think we should take it slow

We're just ordinary people  
We don't know which way to go  
Cuz we're ordinary people  
Maybe we should take it slow (Take it slow oh ohh)  
This time we'll take it slow (Take it slow oh ohh)  
This time we'll take it slow

This ain't a movie no  
No fairy tale conclusion ya'll  
It gets more confusing everyday  
Sometimes it's heaven sent  
Then we head back to hell again  
We kiss then we make up on the way

I hang up you call  
We rise and we fall  
And we feel like just walking away  
As our love advances  
We take second chances  
Though it's not a fantasy  
I still want you to stay

We're just ordinary people  
We don't know which way to go  
Cuz we're ordinary people  
Maybe we should take it slow (Take it slow oh ohh)  
This time we'll take it slow (Take it slow oh ohh)  
This time we'll take it slow

Take it slow  
Maybe we'll live and learn  
Maybe we'll crash and burn  
Maybe you'll stay, maybe you'll leave,  
maybe you'll return  
Maybe another fight  
Maybe we won't survive  
But maybe we'll grow  
We never know baby youuuu and I

We're just ordinary people  
We don't know which way to go  
Cuz we're ordinary people  
Maybe we should take it slow (Heyyy)  
We're just ordinary people  
We don't know which way to go  
Cuz we're ordinary people  
Maybe we should take it slow (Take it slow oh ohh)  
This time we'll take it slow (Take it slow oh ohh)  
This time we'll take it slow /i 

I walked back to our house, intending to make amends. That song played over and over in my head. I walked inside, and I found Arya asleep on the bed, and I could see she's been crying.

I kissed her forehead, and went to the couch. I didn't want to wake up next to an elf princess if she was still mad at me.

I awoke groggily the next morning, and looked outside. It was still dark, but I couldn't sleep again. I walked into Arya's room, and I watched her sleep. She was breathing slowly and deliberately; and I could tell she was dreaming, her eyes were flickering. I smiled at her, and watched for a few more minutes, until she started to wake. She looked over at me. "Hi Eragon," she said sleepily. She started to yawn, and stopped halfway, her brain clicking.

She looked back over at me, her mouth hanging open stupidly. "I'm so sorry Eragon," she said sadly.

"No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have run off like that," I replied, very interested in my feet.

"You're sorry? I'm the one that yelled, I'm the one that was being an ass, I'm the one that didn't realize that you were right. I guess that I got caught up in our own stuff."

I sat down next to her, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I should have thought more about us, and less about our work. And, if you want, I can go down to the queen's office, and tell her that we won't do the mission."

"No, it wouldn't be fair to the people that we are ignoring something that we shouldn't, just for ourselves. But, I think the sun is going to rise soon, so we should start packing."

"M'kay, let's get packing." We hastily threw things into a bag, and collected our various items.

i _Saphira! We need you to fly us._

_Alright, alright, gimme a few minutes to get there._ /i She sounded sleepy.

We waited outside, standing next to each other, neither of us saying anything. We had already made up, but we didn't want to anger each other anymore.

Saphira arrived, and I made a motion to put on her saddle, but she stopped me with one of her talons. She looked angry.

i _I will not fly either of you, no matter what the queen says, if you guys fight at all on the flight or when we reach the Spine. If you guys so much as raise your voice at each other, I will stop the flight right then, force both of you off, and then make you guys walk back on your own._ /i Both of our eyebrows shot up in surprise. It wasn't often that Saphira made that big of an outburst.

"I promise," I said in the ancient language. "I will try to prevent any of my yelling at Arya, unless the situation permits."

"I too, promise. If there is anyway to avoid it, I will not yell in anger at Eragon," Arya said in the ancient language as well.

Saphira squinted her eye that we could see, and after several seconds, seemed satisfied. i _Fine, hop on._ /i 

I smiled, and strapped on the saddle, noticing that it groaned under her girth. I took notice to make another for her.

We set off quickly, Saphira immediately soaring for the skies. I felt Arya latch onto my waist harder, remembering how much she hated to fly. "I forgot, you hate flying!" I yelled in exhilaration.

"I don't mind flying, but this is SUICIDE," she screamed as Saphira went into a neckbreaking dive.

She continued to dive, even after I noticed that the trees of Du Weldenvarden were getting closer and closer. i _Saphira._ /i She ignored me, the trees getting closer and closer. i _Saphira. Uh, Saphira. SAPHIRA! /_i 

She pulled out of the dive at the last second, and I could see her smiling. She then proceeded to turn upside down, and Arya and I reflexively hugged Saphira's body.

"Your right this is suicide!" I yelled at Arya.

We finally stopped at night, having just flown out of the Hadarac. "Wow, we made good time," I commented, realizing how far we actually had flown. I looked at the map. "We might make it tomorrow if we haul ass."

I looked at the sunset, and made a decision. It was time to propose to Arya. i _Saphira, I'm gonna do it._

_Best of luck._ /i 

"Arya, want to take a walk?"

She smiled. "Sure."

We started walking, watching the sun rest itself upon the hilltops. Darkness filled slowly, and the stars shown. "Arya, this may seem like everyone says this, but it's true, I don't say that I love you enough."

She gave me a kiss, and said, "I love you too."

"I've been wanting to say this for a while now, but things have gotten in the way."

"What is it?"

"Arya, will you marry me?" I pulled out the ring.

She gasped, though I think that she knew on some level. She smiled. "Yes. Yes, of course I will!"

I beamed, and gave her a hug. "I love you Arya…Arya Shadeslayer I should say."

She was beaming too as I slid the ring on her finger. "Where did you get this ring!" she asked, admiring the beauty.

"From a…friend," I said, evading the true answer. I pondered, "I wonder if the queen will approve…"

"Pssh. I doubt it. But, since you're a Rider, she might. But it's odd. A farm boy and a princess. Can't say that I saw this coming."

I figured now was the time to spill the beans. "I kind of had a clue that I'd fall in love with you…"

She looked at me, a suspicious glint in her eye. "Go on."

"Well, when I first met Angela, she asked me to read my fortune. She said that I'd fall in love with someone in royalty, though she didn't know if it'd be happy or sad. So, I sort of, kind of, had a hint of knowledge that I'd love you."

"Well, now that your telling secrets, I'll tell you one of mine. I happened to be walking down a street in Teirm, and a fortune teller stopped me. She told me out of the blue that I'd love a poor man, and that it would definitely be for the best. I thought she was talking about one of my old friends, but I guess it was you."

"I'm just happy that our love worked out for the better." I kissed her, kissing my future wife.

We walked back to the camp that we had set up, hand in hand, and I told Saphira that she had said yes.

i _Well duh! If she said no, I'd have killed her._ /i 

I wasn't sure if she was kidding or not.

"I'm sorry that we can't have a big romantic dinner, and that we're just stuck in the middle of nowhere," I said to Arya, crestfallen.

To my surprise, her face lit up with a smile, and she even laughed for a second. "Are you kidding me? This is probably what half of our life is gonna be like together, so we might as well get used to it huh? But if you think for one second that our honeymoon is gonna be spent tracking down people for the goodness of Alagaesia, you're gonna be a single man."

"Trust me, if the queen requests anything after we get this Shade, in the next week or so, I'll flat out refuse. It does pay to be a Rider sometimes."

i _Hey! So, having a dragon and all of that stuff is normal?_ /i Saphira piped in.

"I love you too Saphira."

I took another look at the fairth of the Shade. I still couldn't place her, and I noticed something new on her. She had a small dot on her forehead…where had I seen her before?

We continued our trip, and by sundown, we were in the Spine. I recalled the ruggish place, and smiled, glad to be back. This was where I had found Saphira. i _Remember this place Saphira?_

_It seems very familiar…_ /i She gave one of her odd dragon chuckles.

An idea popped in my head. I walked threw the heavily treed area, and found a clearing that I recognized. i _Saphira, do you think that you can bring Arya here?_ /i I sent her a mental picture of where I was. She said yes, and arrived several minutes later with Arya clutching her back with the scared look she gets in her eyes whenever she flies. I laughed shortly, and helped her down from Saphira's saddle.

She seemed a little queasy from the ride, and I let her walk it off, while I was still laughing at how funny it seemed. An elf princess gets married to a farm boy; she can handle torture without falling under the pressure, but she can't handle a little flying.

She eyed me suspiciously. "What's so funny?"

"No-nothing." I took another look at her, and her flying face came back to me. I burst out laughing again.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked, annoyed.

"Well, believe it or not, but this is where I found Saphira's egg."

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wow! I transported it here? I mean, I know that I was under attack and stuff, but I was way off." She laughed.

I pointed to a mark that was partly hidden by the new grass. "That is the exact spot where it landed."

She pondered the situation. "Well, I'm glad that you found it." She gave me a kiss.

i _Clap, clap, clap._ /i Arya and I heard the noise, and turned, trying to find the source. i _Clap, clap, clap._ /i "Touching, touching," we heard a voice, and it seemed to surround us. We both knew that it was the Shade. "Quite a nice spot to choose. I rather enjoy coming back, thinking of what could have happened if my father had killed you Arya."

The voice seemed familiar, and the memories tugged at me. They were on the brink of passing threw, but I needed something to push it all the way.

"You may remember me Eragon. Well, you should since you almost killed me at birth."

"That voice…Arya do you know who it could be?" I asked, whispering.

The Shade laughed. "Talk as low as you want, I can still hear you."

Arya looked surprised. "Eragon, I'm shocked that you haven't remembered yet. It's Evra."

The memories came back, from the baby I had blessed. "Your dad…was Durza?"

"Yeah. When my mother walked outside one day, he captured her and raped her. I found out from those damn Twins."

She stepped out from behind a tree, and we all drew our swords. I looked at Elva's sword, and I realized that it was almost the same as her father's. The only thing different was the length—it was slightly smaller—and it didn't have the scar that Durza's had from Ajihad.

Arya and I set up on opposite sides of Elva, about fifty feet from her. She seemed calm, as though this was a normal thing. She showed no sign of attacking, and no sign of defending. She was simply standing there with her sword at her side.

Without warning, she lunged at me. I dodged it nimbly, merely stepping to the left to avoid her. I faked a yawn. "You're going to have to do better than that Elva."

She bared her teeth, and attacked with a series of blows that would send any normal human to death, but not a Rider. I continued blocking the attacks, and started to get impatient, wishing she was better. Arya calmly watched, her eyes like a hawk's. After blocking a weak series of blows, I got fed up. I started yelling. "C'MON! You're a freaking Shade! Are you holding back 'cause I'm a human!"  
She seemed to hate me even more, and continued her weak onslaught of blows. After ducking from one of her blows, I finally grabbed her sword, and yanked it from her. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"See how weak you are? I could kill you right now, but I don't hurt harmless enemies," I said, thrusting her blade into the ground near me.

"I. Am. Not. HARMLESS!" she yelled, and drew a dagger from her shoe.

She attacked viciously, yet it was predictable. I parried it with my sword, and held my sword at her neck. "You're dead, just admit it."

"I said, I'm not harmless!" And, she tried to attack with magic. It was weak again, and I absorbed it with a hand.

"You know what? You're a disgrace to yourself. I'm just going to end your pain right now," I said, and drew back my sword to kill her.

She grimaced, running her hand over her stomach. She was almost moaning in agony, yet her face seemed happy, despite that gruesome death that she was about to experience. I was about to jab my sword into her heart, when Arya came over, and grabbed my hand. "Stop," she whispered.

I looked at her. "Huh?" I asked stupidly.

"I think that she is not a Shade. I think that your…enchantment that you placed on her is still affecting her. Maybe she just wants you to put her out of her misery."

Elva seemed to soften a little. "The elf speaks the truth. I am not Shade. My father was Durza, as much as I hate it. Although you may have done everything in your power to stop the curse, it still affects me….I just want to die. It would be easier than this pain that I constantly feel."

I pondered the situation. I could kill her, and put her out of her misery. But, Riders—or anyone for that matter—should kill a helpless opponent. I sighed, and lowered my sword.

But Elva still had her problem. I thought on how I could fix it. Before, I had just tried to retrace my steps, and I had lowered the magic to some degree. Now, she'd only feel pain if it was her that was being attacked, or if it was someone in her immediate vicinity. I contemplated another way to help her.

"I think I've got it!" I said, excited.

I stood in front of Elva and said, "Estra jutu bui skoliro friekn oiut munne pinnate."

Elva looked at her body. "I don't feel any different."

"Attack me," I said, and gave her her dagger back. "But, if you really hurt me, I think that Arya will kill you."

Elva seemed hesitant; she was obviously afraid of Arya. Arya smiled sweetly at her, telling her to continue. Elva walked up, and took my arm. She put the dagger on my arm, and slowly cut it. She looked at the blood, and she didn't grimace in her usual pain. She excitedly cut me again. This time i _I_ /i grimaced. "Convinced?" I grunted.

She held her dagger to her arm, and was about to cut herself when she winced in pain. "Guess it doesn't work fully?" she asked.

"Hell, I'd be happy that it doesn't work with you. It is a great tool to have when you're in danger," I said, after I had healed the two cuts that she had given me. "Now I wish that I had that power."

She smiled truly, probably the first time in years that she'd been able to. "Thanks Eragon Shadeslayer. What seemed like a curse at first has now become a gift."

"I'm still sorry for everything that I did to you."

"No worries. I'm sorry that I had to make you guys come all the way out here just to help me."

I was still angry at myself for putting her through all of the pain she had endured. I couldn't think of a gift that could help her, but I did the best thing I could. I pulled out a flask of water that I had gotten from the queen a few years ago; unhooked my sheath, and put my sword in it; and pulled out a package of coins. "Elva, I want to give these to you. I still feel sad at all of the pain that you had to endure because of me. I know that you said 'no worries,' but that still doesn't discount what I did. The sword is a sword made by one of the blacksmiths in Ellesmera, and it will never break. The flask holds a special kind of water that will automatically restore your power. And this"—I indicated the bag of coins—"holds coins. Over 1,000 of them if you want to know."

She gasped when I mentioned each of them. "I can't take these Eragon."

"You can and you will. I feel like an absolute asshole for everything that you went threw because I made a damn grammar mistake. If you won't take them, I'll make you."

"I'm speechless."

I laughed. "Apparently you're not."

Arya and Elva both laughed. Elva took the gifts hesitantly. "Eragon….thanks."

I smiled. "We should get going." I turned to Arya. "We've got a wedding to get to." I turned back to Elva. "You're definitely invited."

She laughed again. "Well, I guess that I should take my leave as well. Thanks again Eragon and Arya."

I gave her a kiss on the cheek—Arya tensed when I did—and she left, running happily. I whistled. "That was…different than I expected."

Arya walked next to me, and grabbed my arm. "After the wedding, there is a honeymoon," she whispered.

3 months later

The wedding had been a great day; it seemed half of Alagaesia was there. We had honeymooned on a secluded island near Surda. When we returned, we found out that Arya was pregnant. And it wasn't Turent imitating her.

Arya and I walked in silence, holding hands. i _Cute couple,_ /i Saphira said, swooping down from above us.

"Not as cute as her with Thorn," I muttered to Arya, winking.

She giggled. "What's up Saphira?"

i _Just wondering what you guys were doing._

_Liar, liar ass on fire._

_Alright you caught me! Well, Murtagh and Nasuada have some news that they'd like to share. Nasuada is pregnant!_

_Pssh. We beat their asses._

_Wow, that's sportsmanship at its best._

_We're happy, we're happy. Do they know if it's a boy or girl?_

_They found out yesterday that it was a girl._ /i 

Arya rubbed her stomach fondly. "Perfect couple." We knew that we were going to have a boy, Eric.

i _Name?_

_Rachel._ /i 

"This is gonna be a hell of a future."


End file.
